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Workbench Wednesday!

Bruce Smith
 

Folks,

Workbench Wednesday time!  The workbench is a little crowded with Non-PRR cars right now! There are 5 Rapido cars, three GATC reefers and two NP boxcars, as well as the two Broadway Limited Imports tank cars. All 7 are on the bench for weathering. The process is NOT identical for all of the cars, but there are some commonalities. These are “fleet” weathering jobs.

1) Remove trucks and remove the wheels from the trucks. Protect the bearing holes with tape and grit blast trucks. Replace wheels with semi-scale flange wheels if possible and paint wheels flat black, front and back, in a jig. Replace couplers with semi-scale metal knuckle couplers (note that I leave the trip pins on as I plan to have magnetic uncoupling in locations that will be under catenary.

2) Airbrush a light uneven coat of Tarnished Black, RR Tie Brown, or Harbor Mist Grey on the bottom of the car to weather (and lighten) the black underbodies. Some overspray onto the lower sides and ends of the car was intentionally allowed on some of the cars. On the tank cars, I was careful to get the bottom section of the tank as well as the frame.  Lightly paint the truck sideframes in a similar way. I also sprayed the top of the running boards and the black tank platform and bonnet (on the Niagra Smelting car). Put trucks, sans wheels back on cars to protect underbody details.

3) Airbrush a light, uneven coat of Tarnished Black or Grimy Black on the roof. Again, some overspray onto the sides and ends was intentionally used to weather these parts. 

4) Both NP cars and one GATC reefer are getting oil paint dot filters on the sides and the tank cars are getting oil washes on the tanks. The tanks will probably also get a top dusting with airbrushed soot color.

5) All cars will get fresh paint (decals) behind updated reweigh and repack stencils, chalk marks, and in first for me, route cards. Interestingly to me, the URTX and GARX reefers appear to have their repack stencils near the left truck, not the right.

Once these are done (this weekend, I hope) then it will be back to work on a new project… or maybe the pair of Walthers N6B cabin cars occupying the Tichy box to the left (one is destined for a new cupola to become an N6A, and both are hopefully getting scratch built steps to replace the plastic ones. A recent order received from Pierre is on the right, including etched brass tank car straps for these steps and a set for a PRR F33 flat car. 

Regards,
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL
Brian Carlson
 

Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous. 

Brian J. Carlson 

On Jan 6, 2021, at 3:12 PM, Bruce Smith <smithbf@...> wrote:

 Folks,

Workbench Wednesday time!  The workbench is a little crowded with Non-PRR cars right now! There are 5 Rapido cars, three GATC reefers and two NP boxcars, as well as the two Broadway Limited Imports tank cars. All 7 are on the bench for weathering. The process is NOT identical for all of the cars, but there are some commonalities. These are “fleet” weathering jobs.

1) Remove trucks and remove the wheels from the trucks. Protect the bearing holes with tape and grit blast trucks. Replace wheels with semi-scale flange wheels if possible and paint wheels flat black, front and back, in a jig. Replace couplers with semi-scale metal knuckle couplers (note that I leave the trip pins on as I plan to have magnetic uncoupling in locations that will be under catenary.

2) Airbrush a light uneven coat of Tarnished Black, RR Tie Brown, or Harbor Mist Grey on the bottom of the car to weather (and lighten) the black underbodies. Some overspray onto the lower sides and ends of the car was intentionally allowed on some of the cars. On the tank cars, I was careful to get the bottom section of the tank as well as the frame.  Lightly paint the truck sideframes in a similar way. I also sprayed the top of the running boards and the black tank platform and bonnet (on the Niagra Smelting car). Put trucks, sans wheels back on cars to protect underbody details.

3) Airbrush a light, uneven coat of Tarnished Black or Grimy Black on the roof. Again, some overspray onto the sides and ends was intentionally used to weather these parts. 

4) Both NP cars and one GATC reefer are getting oil paint dot filters on the sides and the tank cars are getting oil washes on the tanks. The tanks will probably also get a top dusting with airbrushed soot color.

5) All cars will get fresh paint (decals) behind updated reweigh and repack stencils, chalk marks, and in first for me, route cards. Interestingly to me, the URTX and GARX reefers appear to have their repack stencils near the left truck, not the right.

Once these are done (this weekend, I hope) then it will be back to work on a new project… or maybe the pair of Walthers N6B cabin cars occupying the Tichy box to the left (one is destined for a new cupola to become an N6A, and both are hopefully getting scratch built steps to replace the plastic ones. A recent order received from Pierre is on the right, including etched brass tank car straps for these steps and a set for a PRR F33 flat car. 

Regards,
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL

<PXL_20210104_165946524.jpg>
Gavin
 

What's currently on my workbench. A Accurail PGE 36' Fowler. Needs renumbering, as the real series only went up to 3544. I'm also planning a project to turn a P1K 36' Stock Car into PGE 577 or a similar car. 


On Wed, Jan 6, 2021, 12:36 PM Brian Carlson via groups.io <prrk41361=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous. 

Brian J. Carlson 

On Jan 6, 2021, at 3:12 PM, Bruce Smith <smithbf@...> wrote:

 Folks,

Workbench Wednesday time!  The workbench is a little crowded with Non-PRR cars right now! There are 5 Rapido cars, three GATC reefers and two NP boxcars, as well as the two Broadway Limited Imports tank cars. All 7 are on the bench for weathering. The process is NOT identical for all of the cars, but there are some commonalities. These are “fleet” weathering jobs.

1) Remove trucks and remove the wheels from the trucks. Protect the bearing holes with tape and grit blast trucks. Replace wheels with semi-scale flange wheels if possible and paint wheels flat black, front and back, in a jig. Replace couplers with semi-scale metal knuckle couplers (note that I leave the trip pins on as I plan to have magnetic uncoupling in locations that will be under catenary.

2) Airbrush a light uneven coat of Tarnished Black, RR Tie Brown, or Harbor Mist Grey on the bottom of the car to weather (and lighten) the black underbodies. Some overspray onto the lower sides and ends of the car was intentionally allowed on some of the cars. On the tank cars, I was careful to get the bottom section of the tank as well as the frame.  Lightly paint the truck sideframes in a similar way. I also sprayed the top of the running boards and the black tank platform and bonnet (on the Niagra Smelting car). Put trucks, sans wheels back on cars to protect underbody details.

3) Airbrush a light, uneven coat of Tarnished Black or Grimy Black on the roof. Again, some overspray onto the sides and ends was intentionally used to weather these parts. 

4) Both NP cars and one GATC reefer are getting oil paint dot filters on the sides and the tank cars are getting oil washes on the tanks. The tanks will probably also get a top dusting with airbrushed soot color.

5) All cars will get fresh paint (decals) behind updated reweigh and repack stencils, chalk marks, and in first for me, route cards. Interestingly to me, the URTX and GARX reefers appear to have their repack stencils near the left truck, not the right.

Once these are done (this weekend, I hope) then it will be back to work on a new project… or maybe the pair of Walthers N6B cabin cars occupying the Tichy box to the left (one is destined for a new cupola to become an N6A, and both are hopefully getting scratch built steps to replace the plastic ones. A recent order received from Pierre is on the right, including etched brass tank car straps for these steps and a set for a PRR F33 flat car. 

Regards,
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL

<PXL_20210104_165946524.jpg>
WILLIAM PARDIE
 

Bruck, that workbench looks so familiar..The exceptiog being that mine is even more cluttered.

Bill Pardie

On Jan 6, 2021, at 10:12 AM, Bruce Smith <smithbf@auburn.edu> wrote:

<PXL_20210104_165946524.jpg>
Bruce Smith
 

Brian,

I agree. However, I measured those axles at 0.985” or so…really short. I think my standard replacement wheels are 1.015” or so. Does IM make short axle wheel sets? Reeboxx used to, but I they have not been available for some time.

Regards,
Bruce
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL

On Jan 6, 2021, at 2:36 PM, Brian Carlson via groups.io <prrk41361=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous.

Brian J. Carlson
Brian Carlson
 

Did you measure the axle before or after cleaning up the cone with the reboxx tool? I have over 1 dozen BLI tank cars and the IM axles all fit fine after cleaning up the truck bearing cones. The BLI truck molds do not have a good surface out of the box, and I got a lot of shavings with little pressure.

Truth is I would have liked to totally replace the BLI trucks but the atypical mounting system makes it more work. So I took the easier way out.

Brian J. Carlson

On Jan 6, 2021, at 4:23 PM, Bruce Smith <smithbf@auburn.edu> wrote:

Brian,

I agree. However, I measured those axles at 0.985” or so…really short. I think my standard replacement wheels are 1.015” or so. Does IM make short axle wheel sets? Reeboxx used to, but I they have not been available for some time.

Regards,
Bruce
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL

On Jan 6, 2021, at 2:36 PM, Brian Carlson via groups.io <prrk41361=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous.
Brian J. Carlson
Bruce Smith
 

Brian,

Before... just got home and reamed them out. Wow!  Lots of crud in those bearings!  Now the 1.015" axles fit fine. Thanks for the suggestion.

Regards,
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Brian Carlson via groups.io <prrk41361@...>
Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2021 3:35 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io <main@realstmfc.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Workbench Wednesday!
 
Did you measure the axle before or after cleaning up the cone with the reboxx tool?  I have over 1 dozen BLI tank cars and the IM axles all fit fine after cleaning up the truck bearing cones. The BLI truck molds do not have a good surface out of the box, and I got a lot of shavings with little pressure.

Truth is I would have liked to totally replace the BLI trucks but the atypical mounting system makes it more work. So I took the easier way out.

Brian J. Carlson
> On Jan 6, 2021, at 4:23 PM, Bruce Smith <smithbf@...> wrote:
>
> Brian,
>
> I agree. However, I measured those axles at 0.985” or so…really short. I think my standard replacement wheels are 1.015” or so. Does IM make short axle wheel sets? Reeboxx used to, but I they have not been available for some time.
>
> Regards,
> Bruce
> Bruce Smith
> Auburn, AL
>
>> On Jan 6, 2021, at 2:36 PM, Brian Carlson via groups.io <prrk41361@...> wrote:
>> Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous.
>> Brian J. Carlson
>
>
>






mopacfirst
 

Thanks for the advice.  Mine are still in the box, and I hope I can keep this in mind for the next couple of months until they have a layout to run on.

Ron Merrick
Rich C
 

First time posting on this subject! All of you gents have some great projects under way.

Here is what I have going in my priority 10 drawere project cart.

1. Tichy Pennsy G30 WE gon. Finished detailing the underbody.
2. F&C Rutland 4100 composite gon. Deflashing.
3. F&C NEB&W 4100 composite gon. Deflashing.
4.Sunshine Santa Fe Ft-I flat. Deflashed adding lead weight to nooks and crannies.
5. Branchline Monon 50' AAR DD box. In Tupperware stripping tub.
6. Wright Trak Models Seaboard V-9 Ventilator box. A dedication to Bill Welch. Deflashing
7. Bethlehem Car Works M70 kitbash for PRRPro. Awaiting Keystone RPO issue
8. Westerfield Boston & Albany 40' steel USRA  box. Finished the grabs on the ends
9. F&C Pennsy GR gon. Weathering/Lettering stage.
10. Andy Carlson Mid Century GN 40' Pratt SS Box Car. Minor bodywork, underframe

Rich Christie
Scott
 

Been experimenting with various polyurethane clear coats to find a non/less frosty one.  So far Mission Models clear coats have been the best performer in my opinion.  The color coat will always get lighter with less gloss but it doesn't have to be frosty.  

Scott McDonald
Tim O'Connor
 


Some trucks are made for very short axles - .950 to 1.000. Atlas trucks, and Kato ASF A-3 come to mind.


On 1/6/2021 4:22 PM, Bruce Smith wrote:
Brian,

I agree. However, I measured those axles at 0.985” or so…really short. I think my standard replacement wheels are 1.015” or so. Does IM make short axle wheel sets? Reeboxx used to, but I they have not been available for some time. 

Regards,
Bruce
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL


On Jan 6, 2021, at 2:36 PM, Brian Carlson via groups.io <prrk41361@...> wrote:

Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous. 

Brian J. Carlson

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts
Tony Thompson
 

Brian Carlson wrote:

Intermountain hi detail semi-scale wheels and scale couplers are a must for Broadway tank cars. The Broadway wheelsets are hideous. 

Well said, sir.

Tony Thompson
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